iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

@writestats.bsky.social It's California Day! In this article, I share some of my favorite places in this golden state, as well as an excerpt from my novel. But, I want to know from you, where is your favorite place here? barbaraswihartmillerbooks.substack.com/p/its-califo...

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Du kannst jetzt eine Kopie auf Deutsch bekommen! Geh hierhin, um eine zu holen: www.amazon.de/dp/B0HG7VMVZ5

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Check out the full article at barbaraswihartmillerbooks.substack.com/p/terror-rei...

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Hey, look at the amazing event we have planned for the third weekend in September!

An informative poster held in mostly beige and green. The text reads:

Pen & Pier
Unearthed Imagination
Retreat 2026
September 18th - 20th
FRIDAY! "Murder on the Air"
Great American Melodrama
1863 Front St., Oceano, CA 93445 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm

SATURDAY! Morning Write-in
Fire and Vice
3580 Skyway Dr, Santa Maria, CA 93455 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Traitors of Time -- Murder Mystery Game
Big Rock Tabletop
620 Quintana Rd, Morro Bay, CA 93442 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Bonfire on the Beach
Grover Beach, CA
Drive down Grand Ave till you hit water! 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

SUNDAY! Farewell Brunch!
Kitchen & Vine
3897 S Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 10:30 am - 1:00 pm

Brought to you by Pen & Pier

Come plant the seeds and watch your stories grow

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

What is happening this summer at Pen & Pier? So glad you asked. The links you'll need: discord.gg/tA8yG7WQU (invite link) and Penandpier.com

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I have a flash fiction piece published in the online magazine, Ave Astra! Please come and check it out! ave-astra.org#volumes

ave-astra.org

Ave Astra

Disability & Neurodivergent Culture

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Ute Orgassa @uteorgassa.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

This was so fun to do!

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

I have a short story published in this anthology! It is about a competition between two teen pirate captains. books2read.com/PirateCove

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Subscribe to my Substack for a chance to win! Winners will be announced on 5/25! barbaraswihartmillerbooks.substack.com

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

My latest book, Brehm's Children, is coming out May 8th! It is now available for presale either in paperback at "barbaraswihartmill.wixsite.com/bsm-…" or as a Kindle eBook at "www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHZL495G". 11m

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

For anyone who needs a reminder: The World is beautiful

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

My newest book, Brehm's Children, will be available for purchase soon!

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Ute Orgassa @uteorgassa.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Hey, hey! I have two pieces in this volume! 'A Day At The Beach' in the Nostalgia issue, and 'About Alice' in the Integrity issue. If you want to get your hands on a physical copy, you now have a chance!

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Get to know our writers: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Portrait of the writer Ute Orgassa. She has short, red hair, is wearing glasses and dragon earrings. She is resting her chin on her hands and is smiling.

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👻Michael J. Riser𖤐🧊❌👑 @michaeljriser.com · 12/01/2026

One of my first reads of the year is a little anthology called Rough Seas & Strange Yarns, co-edited by my good friend @uteorgassa.bsky.social, comprised of members of her group, Pen & Pier. You can find the book here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S... 1/🧵

The cover of Rough Seas & Strange Yarns: A Pen & Pier Anthology. It shows a sea, with waves crashing upon rocks and gentle lapping against sad, seemingly a composite of two pictures so that the sand is at the top of the cover, and the crashing waves at the bottom. The spray from the waves is superimposed over a golden yellow background that looks almost like the golden hues of an ale. In the upper-middle area of the cover, the title appears in bold white letters. At the bottom is the subtitle, and shows that it's edited by Ute Orgassa, Michelle Dornish, and Katherine Bonn.

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

How To Love Your Preschooler is now on sale for just $4.00 (normally $7.99) due to a cover error. This is a limited-time offer! Discover how to nurture your child's growth in a loving, God-centered way. Get yours here: wix.to/H5BCuNk #Parenting #Preschool #ChristianParenting

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Get Your Words Out! @gywo.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

We're currently at 295 writers. The 2015 pledge class was 317 writers. Can we get—okay 10 gets us to 305, then another 10 to 315, 2 more, and then 1 more to exceed, and what's that—28! Can we get 28 more writers to pledge today? #writinggroup #notmath getyourwordsout.dreamwidth.org/930533.html

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Ute Orgassa @uteorgassa.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

I have a new story out!

A photo of the front cover of a book. On the upper part is a picture of a man lying down. He looks wounded and has tape over his mouth. On the bottom it reads: The White Picket Fence: Stories of Individuality as Rebelliousness Anthology

A photo of a table of content page. Among the story titles and author names is: The Hard Ass by Ute Orgassa

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Ute Orgassa @uteorgassa.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

I have a flash piece in this. Go check it out!

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

If you want to read the whole poem, find our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns' here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

A photo of crashing waves, overlaid with text. The text says:

Turbulent Waters

By Barbara Swihart Miller

Her body shakes like and earthquake,
Causing a tsunami in my heart to rise.
A wall of fear is flooding my heart and mind.

We have to ride it out.
I will be the skipper to her captain.
The swells will grow further and further apart before finally ceasing.

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

Get to know our writers: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

An Interview with Heidi Gilbert

by Barbara Swihart Miller

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Ute Orgassa @uteorgassa.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

My story 'About Alice' is in this issue. And as always, so much care went into the whole magazine, it is a joy to read!

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

If you want to read the full story, you can order our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

A picture of a sailboat facing a rough and stormy ocean and sky. Overlaid text reads:

The Drowning of Edward Black
By Alastair Hightower

The deck rose under my feet, and the sea mist splashed across my face as the dark bow broke though another wave; snapping me out of the sour memory. I held firm to the rope, for fear of being tossed over the railing. The captain was in a mood. She stood at the helm, red hair braided with shells and sea glass, violently tossed to the wind. Her hat hung by the thin cord around her neck, green eyes wild as she searched the storm; mad Maggie, they called her, mistress of the Masquerade.

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

If you want to read the full story, our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns is available here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

Photo of a view down a cliff into the ocean overlaid with text. Text reads:

"Her toes inch closer to the edge.
A cascade of tiny pebbles launches from beneath her feet. They roll to the edge, teeter momentarily, and then surrender to the fall."

From 'The Tern of the Tide' by Katherine Bonn
Excerpted from 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns', a Pen & Pier anthology

penandpier.com

Photo: Sarcastic Cat Creative@gmail.com

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

If you want to read the full story, you can order our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns' here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

If you want to read the full story, you can order our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns' here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

An image of an underwater ocean landscape with coral and plants. A water swirl is the central focus. The overlaid text reads:

Of Seas and Solitude
By Blair Livolsi

"You'll all go back there one day, I promise. Besides, you aren't as separate from the sea as you think you are. You're not something lesser, and you aren't something more either. You're just... Different."

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

If you want to read the full story, you can order our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns' here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

An image of the surface and underwater of the ocean overlaid with text. The text reads:

Swimming Too Close to the Sun
By Siddhi Upadhyaya

As I move through the water, I can tell that light - or rather the absence of it - is going to be my biggest obstacle. Darkness presses down on me from all sides. Only the beam of my dive light cuts through it. The stalactites and stalagmites come up higher, closer to the middle where I'm swimming, like teeth in an endless mouth.

How is this the cave that killed Clarissa Claire? The fact that I'm doing fine so far should comfort me, but it doesn't. She was more prepared than me, had a dive team, but still managed to disappear here.

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

If you want to read the full story, you can order our anthology 'Rough Seas & Strange Yarns' here: www.amazon.com/Rough-Seas-S...

A drawing of a room with a painting on a wall and an open guitar case on the floor, overlaid with text. The text reads:

The Mule And The Magpie
By Kevin Carver

Entering, I stand there side by side with him, looking at everything he owns, all that's left. There's an air mattress with a sleeping bag. Some bent cardboard boxes overflowing with clothes. A TV without a stand. My eyes dart to a hard shell guitar case leaning against a wall. Above the case I scan the walls and find mostly nail holes, but I eventually stop at a painting. Ocean waves crashing into rocks on canvas. "Okay," I say. "Give me 10 minutes." "And there's some junk in the kitchenNot junk, you know what I mean. Good stuff." I nod, wanting him to leave. "I'll double check every room and cupboard. 10 minutes. You can wait outside.

"I need a smoke anyway."

Benny leaves. I'm sure his face shows suspicion, but I make it a point not to see it. I wait. When I hear the front door open and close I pull latex gloves out of my back pocket and begin.

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Thank you @jbgremillion.bsky.social for the recommendation. The kids and I lived this spot, even if the following hike was slippery from all the rain we had!

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

I have a short story in this amazing anthology by Pen & Pier!

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

This is a short story of mine that is in an anthology now available for preorder!

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

It is important every once in a while to step out of our own little world and look at what's going on around us. I love that my kids' scout pack collects food donations for our local Food Pantry every year.

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

We are happy to announce our very first anthology is coming out on November 24th! Rough Seas & Strange Yarns captures short stories, poems, and visual art of fifteen Pen & Pier members, all focusing on the theme: Ocean. You can pre-order the eBook now www.amazon.com/dp/B0FY715J2...

amazon.com

Rough Seas and Strange Yarns: A Pen & Pier Anthology

Amazon.com: Rough Seas and Strange Yarns: A Pen & Pier Anthology eBook : Miller, Barbara: Kindle Store

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

While the Oregon Trail was the most well-known route to the Gold Fields, the Isthmus of Panama was a quicker, safer, and much more expensive way to go. In the "Call of Gold," Jacob takes this route, encountering danger as he takes part in a Pack Mule train. www.amazon.com/Call-Gold-Ba...

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Get to know our writers: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Interview with Author Kevin Carver

By Barbara Miller

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

My short story, "The Perfect Mummy" is now available in a horror anthology by Dragon Soul Press! Come and check it out! www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

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Pen & Pier @penandpier.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Get to know our writers: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Interview With Fantasy Writer Siddhi

Interview questions by Ute and Barbara

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Thank you, @dragon_soul_press, for accepting my book! Here is a link to preorder: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

My MC is a real scoundrel. He's morals lie on the wrong side of the law. He likes the ladies and making a buck. He is confident, charming, and persuasive. Despite all this, he loves his family, his wife and his son. He swears a lot, which is a taboo in that day and age.

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Barbara Swihart Miller @bsmbooks.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

The WIP I am plotting is inspired by a true story. An innocent man is convicted and sent to jail for the murder of his wife. It is not a mystery novel, per say but one where he searches for justice for himself and for his family.

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